Sunday, August 23, 2015

John Hancock's Table: Turtles, Pineapples and the Paradoxical Politics of 1768

You will always find items both useful and
intriguing at the Massachusetts Historical Society (www.masshistory.org). One
tasty tidbit, from the Hancock family papers, is a bill of sale dated 27 June
1768, from Oliver Wendell of Boston to John Hancock. It is bill
for six turtles (a weight of 234 pounds) and eighteen pineapples. The total
bill came to 16 pounds, 19 shillings. Such exotic fare was shipped from the
West Indies and sold (usually dockside) to inns and tavern keepers and
representatives of wealthy clientele in Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, and
so on.

Courtesy, Massachusetts Historical Society, Hancock Family Papers

During the late 18th century & into the 19th, Mr. Julien promoted the many benefits of turtle soup to his Boston clientele.

These were heady days for Hancock, caught up in the
events that would lead ultimately to the Revolution and independence from Great
Britain.By the late spring of
1768 (with the Lydia/Liberty incidents unfolding), Hancock was allied with Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty in
organizing resistance to the new taxes imposed on America in the infamous
Townshend Duties.In May, he had
been elected to Governor Francis Bernard’s Council, the upper house of the
Massachusetts legislature, only to have the people’s choice vetoed by Bernard.Still, that same day, voters elected
him to the House of Representatives.Two weeks later, he would be elected Major of the Cadets, a new branch
of the Massachusetts militia.

Such honors required a gentleman of Hancock’s
station to demonstrate his gratitude through celebratory banquets and
fetes.That Hancock was planning festivities
at this time of some sort is evident in Oliver Wendell’s bill for exotic fare,
especially as the bill appears to several imposing sea turtles, no doubt to be served as a delicacy - turtle soup . Pineapples too had been long

associated as luxury items and their appearance at Hancock's table would have heightened the sense of it being a significant celebration. Hancock's uncle, Thomas, had died by this time, leaving the 'Hancock Mansion' to his nephew-- a perfect place for entertaining with his Aunt Lydia as hostess.

For further reading:

Two excellent articles - and everything you could
want to know about turtle and mock turtle soup from the University of
Pennsylvania Museum: